First-year Lanie Grant scores career high 15 points against Ball State

First-year guard Lanie Grant drained a 3-pointer with two minutes remaining in the second quarter.

With the shot, the guard set a new career high of 10 points. 

Sprinting back on defense, Grant immediately pointed to the passer — junior guard Trayanna Crisp — who found her open on the left wing off of a no-look pass to put the Tar Heels up by 13.

Coming out of the locker room, Grant scored another 3-pointer and two free throws to pass the record again. The 17-year-old came off the bench in the first quarter and led all UNC scorers by the end of it.

“It's definitely exciting when you get to go out, compete with this team and then come out with the W,” Grant said.

On Saturday night at Imperial Arena in the Bahamas, No. 16 North Carolina defeated the Ball State Cardinals, 63-52, during the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Grant led the scoring efforts with 15 points, reaching double figures five games into her college career. The first-year went 3-4 from behind the arc and 6-7 from the line.

“I think that my output is just a testament to how hard as a group that we've worked,” Grant said. “It was a big focus after the UConn game, kicking the ball in and out.”

Head coach Courtney Banghart said playing three straight games in a tournament like the Battle 4 Atlantis was like AAU ball, which wasn't too long ago for the first-year guard. Grant, the youngest member of UNC's squad, reclassified to play for Banghart in the 2024-25 season. She was crowned 2024 Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year, averaging 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game in her last season at James River High School.

Growing up as a North Carolina fan, Grant knew the legacy of the program and jumped to take advantage of the opportunity to come early to contribute to the Tar Heels. She reminds herself to take things one day at a time, saying that her college journey is a long marathon.

“Carolina basketball, it's legendary,” Grant said. “Just having the chance to be part of something that special, it's just really, really cool to me.”

North Carolina's 3-point offense was vital against Ball State, with Grant cashing in for three of UNC's seven 3-pointers in the game. The first-year prides herself on the shooting ability, range and consistency in her game, which helped the Tar Heels power past the Cardinals on the offensive end.

“Me making shots is great, but it came from people finding me, which is really, really important,” Grant said.

As a whole, Grant's 15-point performance was the height of a massive bench effort from the Tar Heels. North Carolina's bench totaled 29 of the Tar Heels' 63 points, providing an offensive spark in a game riddled with scoring droughts and turnovers.

“I don't really consider them our bench, I consider them part of our group,” Banghart said. “We've got a lot of really good players that are committed to helping us win.”

After Grant reflected on her achievement, graduate forward Alyssa Ustby said, “That girl can hoop.”

“Lanie Grant is very humble,” Ustby said. “She is a dog on the court, and she's somebody that everybody has to watch out for.”

And while she considers her college career a long marathon, even if she won't admit it, Grant is already off to a fast sprint. 

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